Collating machine attachment

ABSTRACT

In a collating machine having paper bins with papers therein to be collated, a moving belt and roller system disposed over the bins, paper ejection arms simultaneously moving the uppermost sheet in each bin into the belt and roller system to be delivered into a delivery tray at the end of the system, first switches, a stitcher, ejection means associated with the tray, and rotating cams operating said ejection arms and contacting said first switches to activate the stitcher and the tray ejection means, one rotation of the cams determining each cycle of the collator; the improvement comprising additional switches disposed about the cams activating the stitcher and the ejection means at regular intervals during each cycle of the collator to allow two or more small sets of papers to be collated during each cycle.

United States Patent [72] Inventor Frank J- Mignlnfl 3,502,255 3/1970 Hermann et al. 270/53X 293 8th St., Brooklyn, N.Y. 11215 3,514,095 5/1970 Hoff 270/58 [21] 1969 Primary Examiner-Robert W. Michell [22] e d um 971 Assistant Examiner-L. R. Oremland [45] meme lune An0rneyPeter L. Tailer ABSTRACT: In a collating machine having paper bins with [54] COLLATING MACHINE ATTACHMENT papers therein to be collated, a moving belt and roller system disposed over the blllS, paper e ection arms simultaneously 4 Claims, 1 Drawing Fig.

, moving the uppermost sheet in each bin into the belt and [52] 11.8. C1. 270/53, toner system to b d li d into a delivery tray at the end of 270/58 the system, first switches, a stitcher, ejection means associated [51] Int. Cl B65h 39/02 with the tray, and rotating cams operating Said ejection arms [50] Field of Search 270/53, 58 and contacting said first switches to activate the stitcher and the tray ejection means, one rotation of the cams determining [561 References Cited each cycle of the collator; the improvement comprising addi- UNITED STATES PATENTS tional switches disposed about the cams activating the stitcher 2,602,665 7/1952 Fulk 270/53 and the ejection means at regular intervals during each cycle 2,624,571 1/1953 Dixon et al. 270/58 of the collator to allow two or more small sets of papers to be 3,173,680 3/1965 Dezoppy 270/58 collated during each cycle.

7 c 2925 4 IO? IO 10 10 I0 10 3 5 8 l l l I I5 5 l5 15 I5 COLLATING MACHINE ATTACHMENT BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Collating machines having multiple paper bins from which ejection arms simultaneously eject a single sheet into a moving belt and roller system disposed above the bins are known. The ejected single sheets overlap one another as they travel through the belt and roller system to be stacked in a delivery tray. In the tray, the collated sheets are stapled and ejected.

One timing shaft has timing cams thereon which synchronize the ejection of the single sheets from each bin and the operation of the stapler and ejector. If a collating machine has 20 to 40 or more bins, one revolution of the timing shaft every 3 seconds collates one sheet from each bin into a set every 3 seconds. The bins are loaded starting at one end of the collator with as many bundles of sheets as are to be collated. If a small job of from two to eight sheets is to be collated, the production of a costly collator is no greater than for a fully loaded 20 to 40 sheet job.

This invention allows a large capacity collator to double or triple its production on small jobs involving only a few sheets each. This permits a purchaser of a large-capacity collator to use his machine with great flexibility on all types of collating jobs with a great saving in time.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring to the drawing in detail, the reference numeral 1 designates aligned 'bins in which bundles or reams of paper 2 to be collated are placed. Above the bins l is one or more parallel belts 3 passing about the pulleys 4 and 5. Motor 6, by means of belt 7 and pulleys 8 and 9, drives belt 3. Pairs of rollers 10 are disposed adjacent to each bin 1 and have the lower run of belt 3 pass between them. I

A timing motor 11 has a cam 12 driven thereby which, by means of follower l3, reciprocates frame 14 having the paperejecting arms 15 connected thereto. Each paper ejector arm 15 extends into a bin 1 to push the uppermost sheet of a bundle 2 upward as frame 14 moves upward. As the single sheets from each bundle 2 move simultaneously upward, their upper edges contact the lower run of moving belt 3 and the sheets are drawn to the left as shown below belt 3 and between the pairs of rollers 10 in an overlapping relation. I

Motor 11 also drives the cams l6 and 17 which are usually disposed on a common shaft with cam 12. Cam 16 contacts switch 18 which is connected to leads l9 and 20. Solenoid 21 of a stapler or stitcher 25 is connected to leads and 22. Switch 18 is normally open so that when cam 16 contacts it, current from terminals 23 and 24 activates stitcher 25 to staple a collated stack of papers passed to delivery tray 26.

Cam 17 contacts switch 27 which is normally open and connected to leads l9 and 28. Leads 22 and 28 connect the solenoids 29 and 30 of the ejector 31 and the delivery tray gate 32. Thus cam 17 opens gate 32 and drops ejector 3I on the collated and stitched papers on tray 26 so that they are ejected by the lower driven roller 33. All the aforementioned elements of a collator are known.

First elements of this invention consist of the linked three position switches 50 and 51. When switches 50 and 51 are in the upper position, they connect switches 52 and 53 to the leads 20 and 28 by means of the leads 54-57. Switches 52 and 53 are disposed at 180 from switches 18 and 27 and are normally open except when closed by cams l7 and I6.

This portion of the invention operates as follows. For example, if a 24-bin collator is being used, it has been found that bins l-S and 13-17 numbered from one end may be loaded. Motor 6 is usually connected to belt 3 to drive its lower run over bins l in less time than it takes the cams l2, l6 and 17 to rotate once. For this invention, motor 6 should be connected to belt 3 to drive its lower run to pass over bins l in the same time as it takes the cams to rotate once with a maximum error of plus or minus 5 percent. Two sets of five papers each will then be ejected into belt 3 and rollers 10. As soon as the first set is deposited in tray 26, cam 16 causes switch 53 to staple it and cam 17 causes switch 52 to eject it. The second set is then deposited in tray 26 whereon cam 16 causes switch 18 to staple it and cam 17 causes switch 27" to eject it. In this manner a large-capacity collator can have its production of small jobs doubled. One limitation which must be observed in the practice of this invention is the above-mentioned timing of motor 6 to drive belt 3 at the proper rate over the bins 1.

As is further shown in the drawing, second elements of this invention comprise the switches 60 and 61 disposed at about cam 17 and switches 62 and 63 disposed at 120 about cam 16. When switches 50 and 51 are in lower positions, they connect switches 60 and 61 by means of the leads 64 and 65 between terminal 23 and lead 28 and they connect switches 62 and 63 by means of the leads 66 and 67 between terminal 23 and lead 20. This allows, for one example, a 24-bin collator to triple production of a three-page collation by loading bins l numbered from one end 1-3, 9-l l, and 17-19. The elements of this invention may be turned off by placing switches 50 and 51 in their center positions. If desired, switch 51 may be omitted by joining leads 66 and 64 and leads 55 and 54.

It is to be noted that portion 70 of cam 17 may be removed to shorten to a minimum the time and impulse required to eject each collation to reduce the possibility of interference between successive collations.

While this invention has been shown and described in the best forms known, it will nevertheless be understood that this is purely exemplary and that modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

What I claim is:

1. In a collating machine having paper bins with bundles of paper selectively placed therein to be collated, a belt and roller system disposed over said bins, a delivery tray at one end of said belt and roller system, paper ejection arms extending into said bins, timing means reciprocating said arms to simultaneously move the uppermost paper in each bin upward into the belt and roller system to be delivered into said tray, a stitcher, ejection means associated with said tray, first switches activating said stitcher and said ejection means, and cams rotated by said timing means contacting said first switches activating said stitcher and said ejection means, one rotation of said timing means and said cams determining one cycle of said collator during which said arms are reciprocated once and said belt and roller system is operative to deliver the uppermost paper from each bin in use to said tray; the improvement comprising, in combination, additional switches connected to activate said stitcher and said ejection means, said additional switches being contacted by said cams activating said stitcher and said ejection means more than once at regular intervals during each cycle so that at least two small sets of papers are collated during each cycle.

2. The combination according to claim l wherein said belt and roller system has a belt having a run disposed over said bins and said belt and roller system has a drive means driving said run of said belt over said bins during the same time interval plus or minus 5 percent that said timing means rotates said cams once.

3. The combination according to claim 1 wherein said additional switches are second switches disposed at to said first switches to selectively activate, with said first switches, said stitcher and said ejection means twice during each rotation of said cams to collate two small sets of papers during each cycle.

4. The combination according to claim 3 with the addition of third switches disposed at 120 to said first switches to selectively activate, with said first switches, said stitcher and said ejection means three times during each rotation of said cams to collate three small sets of papers during each cycle. 

1. In a collating machine having paper bins with bundles of paper selectively placed therein to be collated, a belt and roller system disposed over said bins, a delivery tray at one end of said belt and roller system, paper ejection arms extending into said bins, timing means reciprocating said arms to simultaneously move the uppermost paper in each bin upward into the belt and roller system to be delivered into said tray, a stitcher, ejection means associated with said tray, first switches activating said stitcher and said ejection means, and cams rotated by saiD timing means contacting said first switches activating said stitcher and said ejection means, one rotation of said timing means and said cams determining one cycle of said collator during which said arms are reciprocated once and said belt and roller system is operative to deliver the uppermost paper from each bin in use to said tray; the improvement comprising, in combination, additional switches connected to activate said stitcher and said ejection means, said additional switches being contacted by said cams activating said stitcher and said ejection means more than once at regular intervals during each cycle so that at least two small sets of papers are collated during each cycle.
 2. The combination according to claim 1 wherein said belt and roller system has a belt having a run disposed over said bins and said belt and roller system has a drive means driving said run of said belt over said bins during the same time interval plus or minus 5 percent that said timing means rotates said cams once.
 3. The combination according to claim 1 wherein said additional switches are second switches disposed at 180* to said first switches to selectively activate, with said first switches, said stitcher and said ejection means twice during each rotation of said cams to collate two small sets of papers during each cycle.
 4. The combination according to claim 3 with the addition of third switches disposed at 120* to said first switches to selectively activate, with said first switches, said stitcher and said ejection means three times during each rotation of said cams to collate three small sets of papers during each cycle. 